Nice Guys Finish Last
by Ashbo
Summary: Yes, another story about Craig. Craig has been best friends with Blayne since grade 9. But something is changing. His feelings. Hers,too. But is she keeping something from him? And when he find out, will they be able to get over it?
1. New Looks, New Secrets

It was anew year at Degrassi. And new year meant new beginning. At least for Blayne Anderson. In tenth grade, she had been a duplicate of her friend Paige Michalchuk. But over the summer, she wanted a desperate change. So the weekend before school started, Blayne changed herself. Drastically. So we when she got to school, you can only guess how nervous she was. First day of eleventh grade and she did a complete one eighty on her outside appearance. As she walked through the halls to go to the office, she waved at old friends who had to take a second look to make sure what they were seeing. When she got to the office, there was a long line to get a schedule. So she kind of just stood there patiently and waited. She could hear three familiar voice behind her, but she didn't want to say anything.  
  
"Hey, I sure hope you're new because I would LOVE to escort you around." One of them said to her. She turned around and smiled.  
  
"Spinner, that was lame. Don't ever use that line on anyone again!" She said jokingly. But the three boys just stared.  
  
"What's the matter, Craig? Do I have something on my face?" She touched her face.  
  
"C'mon, you haven't seen your best friend in two weeks and you aren't even going to say hello?"  
  
"Hello?" Craig forced out.  
  
"Sorry for the dumbfounded ness," Marco interjected. "We're just…surprised. But we like the new look. The haircut is great, and the dye job is even better. Blonde changing to brunette. Definitely a bold move. And dumping the prep look for a more, unique rocker look is awesome. Not goth, but not Paige. It's great."  
  
"Why thank you, Marco! You're tact never fails you. Unlike these two."  
  
Blayne turned back around as she heard the woman at the desk say next.  
  
"Sorry." Blayne said.  
  
"Name and grade?"  
  
"Blayne Anderson, grade eleven."  
  
The woman bent down and picked up a box, pulling out a folder and handing it to Michelle.  
  
"This contains your schedule, locker assignment, and passbook."  
  
"thanks."  
  
Blayne turned around, held her head high, and pushed pass Craig on purpose, leaving the boys to watch her walk away with a new style. It didn't take long for Blayne to find her locker. It wasn't too far from her locker she had in ninth grade. She opened it and started organizing her stuff to make it easier to grab stuff between classes. She then heard a familiar squeal of happiness and saw a blonde bouncing her way.  
  
"Blayne! Oh My-"  
  
"Not now, Paige, I'm not in the mood for a fashion ticket."  
  
"Not at all, hun! I love it! People won't confuse us anymore!" Paige said, flipping her hair. The girls laughed, but the laughter was interrupted when someone placed their hand on Blayne's locker, forcing it to slam shut.  
  
"Well, look what the cat dragged in?"  
  
"What do you want, Sully?" Blayne said, eyeing her ex boyfriend.  
  
"Just to catch up with a former lover. What's happened to you? Didn't think you would take it so rough when we were over, but you went and changed your whole look to forget about me?"  
  
"Don't be so naïve, Sully." Paige said in Blayne's defense.  
  
"Oh look, the queen of blonde bubble heads has something to say."  
  
"Bite me." Paige interjected.  
  
As this conversation was going on, Marco, Spinner, and Craig were just coming out of the office. As they rounded the corner to find their lockers, they saw Blayne and Sully, and the back of Paige's head. They saw as Sully ran his hand through Blayne's short brown hair and then she swatted it away. Craig picked up speed, and Marco and Spinner followed suit.  
  
"Hey now, what kind of attitude is that?"  
  
"the attitude that says go away you douche bag."  
  
Sully put his hand over his heart in mock pain.  
  
"Ouch, baby."  
  
"Listen Sully, why don't you go back to your "posse" and-" Sully didn't let her finish.  
  
"Ah, the Calvary has arrived!" He said as Craig reached them, Spinner and Marco right behind him.  
  
"I'll be seeing you later." Sully said as he pinched Blayn'es cheek.  
  
"What was that all about?" Spinner enquired.  
  
"Nothing. Just Sully being an ass, as usual." Blayne answered.  
  
"Anyways, me and Spin, we're gonna get going. I'll catch up with you later hun." Paige grabbed Spinner's hand and pulled him down the hallway.  
  
"Yeah, I gotta go too, I Haven't seen Dylan yet." Marco said excitedly.  
  
"Go get him tiger!" Blayne said encouragingly.  
  
Marco skipped away.  
  
"Yeah, I should go, too." Craig added.  
  
"Oh, ok. I'll see you later I guess."  
  
"Yeah, bye."  
  
Something seemed off to Blayne. Like some kind of tension between her and Craig. Because of all the interruptions, Blayne didn't finish putting all her stuff away before the bell rang.  
  
"Shit!" She threw the rest of her stuff into her locker and pulled out her schedule so she knew where to go.  
  
"Oh yay, AP Language and Literature. What a great class for early morning." She grabbed a notebook, folder, and pencil then ran off to find the class room. As the classroom came into sight, she knew she was going to be late, not many students were left in the hallways. She started to run. Bad idea. Right as she was entering the classroom, she ran into the person exiting the classroom, and the both fell.  
  
"I'm so sorry…Ms. Kwan? Ms. Kwan, do you teach EVERY English class?" Blayne said as she picked up her stuff.  
  
"No, just yours. For the past three years. Consider yourself lucky." Ms. Kwan gathered her stuff.  
  
"Will do. Sorry." Blayne went into the class and took a seat behind Craig, who was laughing, along with the rest of the class. He turned around.  
  
"Smooth move, exlax."  
  
"Ah, shut up. At least I wasn't late."  
  
"Okay, class!" Ms. Kwan called, quieting them down.  
  
"Today is the first day of school. And I am assigning the biggest project of the year." The room erupted in groans.  
  
"And it has absolutely nothing to do with English." That got the classes attention.  
  
"It is strictly pass or fail. You do the project, you get an A. You don't do the project, you get an F. What will be expected to do is make a video. Of absolutely anything. Make it appropriate. Otherwise, you can do anything you want."  
  
"Anything?" Craig asked.  
  
"Anything. You can have a group as big as five people. If you are doing something along the lines of a documentary, the people that think of the idea get the credit, and the people you are documenting do not. Same goes as for an interview. Interviewers get the credit. Those who are questioned do not. Everyone in the group has to appear in the video at least once. The videos will be shown in class. They are not do until one month from today. So, for those of you who aren't so good with time perception, the due date it October Seventh. You have thirty minutes to find out your groups and what you will be doing. At the last ten minutes of class, you will tell me what you're doing, and I will record it down."  
  
The movement began. People started running across the room to make sure they were with their friends. Craig had already turned around and agreed with Blayne that they would be in a group together. Marco and Jimmy came over by them.  
  
"Hey guys. Be in our group?" Craig asked.  
  
"Yeah." Jimmy said.  
  
"What should we do?" Marco wondered.  
  
"How about a video? A music video?" Craig suggested.  
  
"Dude, that's awesome! But Spin isn't in this class." Jimmy said.  
  
"So? Ms. Kwan never said we couldn't use people outside the class."  
  
"ahem." Blayne coughed.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"Uh, well…" Craig thought for a minute. "You can pick the theme and the story board! Direct!"  
  
"Okay! So how about we all go over to Craig's today, and we'll start working."  
  
"Sounds good. I'll let Spinner know what's going on." Marco said.  
  
Near the end of class, Ms. Kwan told everyone to sit with their groups so she could go around the room asking everyone what they were doing.  
  
"Paige? Who's in your group?" Ms. Kwan asked.  
  
"Me and Hazel." She said.  
  
"And what are you doing?"  
  
"Fashion do's and don'ts of Degrassi." Hazel answered.  
  
Someone laughed, but it was muffled.  
  
" Marco? Group?"  
  
"Me, Craig, Jimmy, and Blayne."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Music video."  
  
"Ellie?"  
  
"Me and Ash are doing a documentary of the secret thoughts of the students at Degrassi."  
  
Ms. Kwan continued going around the room right up until the bell rang.  
  
"We won't be working on this in class!" She yelled as the students filed out the door.  
  
When the bell rang at 12:43, Blayne was relieved to be released from gym and even more relieved to know she was going to lunch. She was starving. Blayne stopped by her locker and grabbed her lunch. She had stopped eating lunch the school made when Emma protested about Genetically Modified foods. That was back in ninth grade, when she had first moved to Degrassi. She headed towards the cafeteria and met Paige on the way.  
  
"Hey hun!" Paige greeted her.  
  
"Hey Paige. How's the first day been for you so far?"  
  
"Lame, as always. You?"  
  
"Same." As Blayne and Paige entered the cafeteria, they no longer looked like twins. They looked like opposites. Blayne saw a hand shoot up, Craig's attempt to wave her down. She waved back.  
  
"C'mon Paige, the guys are over there." She said, pulling Paige along with her. Their table was pretty crowded. Their group of friends sat on one half, on some other people sat on the other. Everyone was squished. Poor Blayne was squished between piggy Spinner, and chatter box Marco. She was obviously uncomfortable. Whenever she would look across the table to Craig for sympathy, he would just laugh. Just as Blayne was about to stand up and move to a new seat, she heard a loud CLANK. Someone had just tripped poor Toby, who threw his lunch out in front of him, getting it all over Emma's back. As his chocolate milk dripped down her back, she turned around to see who tripped Toby. Sully and his friend's were laughing hysterically. Emma bent down and helped Toby up.  
  
"You're such a jerk, Sully."  
  
"Go save a rainforest, Nelson."  
  
Emma and Toby went to sit down by JT, who nicely split his lunch with Toby. Blayne shook her head in disgust, wondering why she ever dated such a jerk.  
  
After school, Blayne rode with Craig to his house, where they waited for Spin, Marco, and Jimmy.  
  
"Hey, sorry about the project, if you had something else in mind."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Craig. This is fine. Besides, my artistic side is going to show through this video." She smiled.  
  
"So what do you have in mind?"  
  
"I don't know yet, but when the guys get here, we can talk and stuff."  
  
Marco and Spinner were next to get there. Jimmy was last, always being late. They sat on the couch while Blayne and Craig stood in front of them.  
  
"Okay, me and Craig have been talking, and we think that the song we should is 'What I Know'. I think I'll be able to do a lot with that. Is that cool with you?" They nodded their heads.  
  
"Alright. Blayne, you can go inside and write up a storyboard, we're going to practice." Craig said.  
  
"Okay." Blayne headed inside. She went upstairs into Craig's bedroom and searched around for paper and a pencil. After much searching, she found what she was looking for. She went and sat at Craig's desk, taking a moment to look at the picture of them on his desk. It was from last year's Winter Carnival dance. They had gone to an after party at Jimmy's, and that's where the picture was taken. She had a lot of fun that night. She recalled that was during her phase where she wanted to be more than friends with Craig. Not such a good idea, to be more than friends with your best friend. She looked down at the paper, and then at the pencil in her hand. She listened to the band practice at the same time for inspiration. Something hit her. She started frantically writing down ideas. When she was done with that, she moved on to the storyboard. That took awhile. She had to draw out each scene and write below it for clarification. About an hour later, she grabbed the two pieces of paper that were covered in writing and ran into the garage.  
  
"It's about time." Spinner said sarcastically.  
  
"Can it Spinner."  
  
"So, what do you got?" Marco asked.  
  
"Okay, first of all, the video will be shot in black and white. I think. And I think the theme is going to be dark, kind of angst-y. The setting for the main part is an apartment. More specifically, the kitchen of the apartment. It's trashed to all hell and back. There is a girl, in the corner, sitting, terrified. Craig is standing over by the door. Looking at her with his signature sad eyes. That is the first shot, before any music begins. Then, cut to you guys playing the instrumental lead in, you guys on a stage, looking into an empty audience. Since Craig isn't singing then, he's kind of just holding the mic stand with one hand, leaning away and looking at his feet. Like this." Blayne handed them the first page of the story board and they looked on together. "Next, when Craig starts singing, he begins walking closer to the girl, and she tries pushing backwards, as if she could go through walls. There are flashes of the apartment clean, the girl standing at the stove, and Craig throwing the door open. Then it goes back to him walking towards her." She grabbed the paper back and pointed to one drawing. "Here, we see you guys playing and Craig singing again. Then at this part of the song, Craig offers his hand to her. More flashes of you guys singing and playing. At the end, Craig puts his hand on the girls face, just as the expression on it turns to forgiving, she turns to dust, like the song says."  
  
She looked at the guys.  
  
"Guys? That's the end. Say something."  
  
"This is going to be awesome!" Craig said.  
  
"Yeah man!" Jimmy high fived him.  
  
"Very original, Blayne." Marco said.  
  
"Spin?" Blayne asked, worried he didn't like it.  
  
"Doom….gloom….fit's the song great! One problem though?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"To get credit, you have to be in it."  
  
"Then who will direct? And what would I do in it?" She asked.  
  
"You would be the girl. Duh. And Ellie can direct, I know she'd agree." Marco suggested.  
  
"But I don't want to be the girl!" Blayne said objectively.  
  
"Pleeeeeease. You have to be!" Craig said.  
  
"Fine." She felt bad about this idea, though. She just didn't like it. Not one bit.  
  
"Blayne?" Jimmy said.  
  
"yeah?"  
  
"Do you have any idea of where we are going to be filming this?"  
  
"Um….I actually…hadn't thought of that." She yold the group, clearly embarrassed.  
  
"We can do the band part in here…otherwise….any suggestions?" She said.  
  
"Hey!" Craig said grinning. "Why don't we use your basement? For some reason, there is a kitchen down there by the spare bedroom."  
  
"Craig, you always save me! Great idea! Okay, so, how about on Saturday we film through here with you guys playing. Then on Sunday, we all go to my house and film the apartment part?"  
  
"Sounds good!" Marco said.  
"Yeah." Spinner added.  
"Definitely." Jimmy agreed.  
"I'll talk to Ellie tomorrow," Marco noted.  
"Alright." Blayne said, nodding her head. She looked at her watch.  
  
"I gotta go, see you guys tomorrow!" She said, grabbing her bag and running out the door before anyone got a chance to ask where she was going. As soon as she got outside, she started walking towards her house. She lived about a block and a half away from Craig, which was convenient. When she was sure no one was following her, she took as left at the street where she usually went right. She could see her house from where she was standing, and looked back at it as she walked in the complete opposite direction. She walked 10 minutes until she got to the bus stop. From there, she took the bus to the other side of town. It was known as the "rich" side of town. She got off and walked a couple of blocks, until her destination came into sight. It was a large, light blue house. She smiled to herself as she walked up the steps and rang the door bell. It was answered rather quickly.  
  
"You know, I really don't like this new look of yours."  
  
"Fine, I'll go home then." Blayne said, turning around to walk way. Sully grabbed her arm.  
  
"C'mon baby, don't be like that. Come inside." So she did. She tossed her bag to the floor and jumped into his arms as he shut the door. Kissing her, he carried her upstairs. 


	2. Sleepy Boys and Bathroom Breaks

As Blayne sat next to Sully in his brand new Ford Escort, she wondered something. 'Why am I doing this? Why do I still go to Sully? I just don't get it. It's like I can't stay away from him.' They pulled up in front of her house and she opened the door to get out.  
  
"Hang on." Sully said.  
  
"What?" Blayne said in a rush. She looked around. She didn't want anybody to see her.  
  
"You have make-out hair." He said, grinning.  
  
"Oh. Well, I'll fix it before I go in. Bye." She slammed the door and started smoothing out her hair. Once she was sure she looked okay, she went inside.  
  
"Mom! I'm home!" Her mom poked her head out from the kitchen.  
  
"Hey sweetie. Dinner is almost done. Why don't you help your sister set the table?"  
  
"Okay." Blayne went into the dinning room where her nine year-old sister was setting the table.  
  
"Hey, Katie. How was fourth grade?"  
  
"The same as third grade." She responded.  
  
"Yeah," Blayne said, remembering back to when she was in grade three. "School gets pretty repetitive."  
  
After dinner, Blayne cleared her plate and went up to her room. She tossed her backpack on her bed and hopped on her computer. As she was checking her email, her phone rang. It was Craig. He was pretty much the only one who called her. Plus, Joey's name was on the caller ID.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Is Blayne there?"  
  
"No, she broke her leg and we had to shoot her."  
  
"Oh, I guess I'll have to settle for talking to you."  
  
"I guess so. What's up?"  
  
"Not a lot, we didn't really get a chance to catch up today. You ran out on me and the guys pretty fast."  
  
"Sorry. My…mom wanted me home early. You know how she is."  
  
"Yeah. Anyways, how was your summer? Do anything special?"  
  
Blayne thought for a moment. Even though Craig was her best friend, could she really tell him that she spent most of her summer in Sully's bedroom, making out for hours at a time? No, she couldn't.  
  
"Um….no, nothing out of the ordinary. You?"  
  
"You know me. Spent the summer in the garage playing guitar and writing moody lyrics that summed up the tragedies of my life."  
  
"Oh? New songs? And I have yet to see them?"  
  
"I'll give them to you tomorrow."  
  
"You won't play them for me?"  
  
"Another time, Blayne, another time."  
  
There was an awkward pause. Only, it wasn't awkward. It was just….silence.  
  
"So, Craigger, any girls over the summer?"  
  
"After dating a prude and whore, and being an asshole to you while doing it, I think I've pretty much given up on girls."  
  
"True, you don't have the best taste, and yes, you do turn your back on your friends when you have a girlfriend, but don't give up. You gotta go through the bad to get to the good."  
  
"You always have such inspirational, optimistic speeches directed towards me."  
  
"Someone has got to make up for your bad attitude." She laughed.  
  
"Anyways, I got to go, I'll see you tomorrow okay?"  
  
"yeah, see you Craig!" She hung up the phone and gave a sigh of relief. There really was no one out there like Craig. She was pretty lucky she found him when she first moved to Degrassi. It took awhile for them to be friends, but in the end, it was all worth it. He was the best friend she had ever had. She remembered one time in grade ten when her dad had tried to contact her again. It upset her greatly and she called Craig. It seemed as though she was on the verge of doing something stupid and destructive to herself, so Craig wouldn't let her spend the night alone. That night he went to her house and sat in a chair as he watched her sleep. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.  
  
Blayne usually got up at 6:30 on school days, but on that Tuesday, she got up at 6:00. She took a quick shower, threw on some jeans and a Sex Pistols t-shirt, slipped on her black Chuck Taylor low tops, put her backpack on, wrote her mom a fast note, and headed out the door. She briskly walked to Craig's house. She didn't want to make much noise, so she went through the garage. As she entered the house, she saw Joey and Angie. Angie was about to say hi, but Blayne put a finger to her mouth, indicating to be very quiet. She smiled at Joey.  
  
"Is Craig still sleeping?" She whispered.  
  
He nodded his head. She put her bag by the door and tip-toed through the kitchen, up the stairs and stopped in front of Craig's door. It was shut. She tried the knob. It was locked, too. She stood there, thinking. Then she pulled a bobby pin out of her hair, straightened it, and stuck it in the hole in the door knob. She heard something click. Blayne smiled to herself. She slowly turned the knob, making sure there would be no click as she pushed it open. She only opened it far enough for her to slip in. She looked at Craig's bead. Although she couldn't see his face, Blayne saw dark fluffy hair sticking out by his pillow. She went over to the side of his bed and knelt down. She pulled down the covers so she could see his face. 'He looks so peaceful…and happy.' She thought. He had a slight smile on his sleeping face. She touched his nose. He moved sharply. She giggled. She pulled his eyelid open and watched his eye roll around for a bit, and then it stopped, looking right at her. His other eye opened, voluntarily. She let go of his face.  
  
"Good morning, sunshine. Time to start a new day!" She said sarcastically.  
  
"mmmhaaammm." Was all he said and rolled to the other side.  
  
"Uh! How dare you turn your back on me, Craig Manning."  
  
"Muuhhgraam."  
  
"That's it."  
  
She jumped on top of him and started tickling him. He fought, furiously. he hated being tickled. She fell off the bed with a loud thump.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!" They heard Joey yell up that stairs. Blayne stood up and went to Craig's closet. She picked out some clothes for him. He got out of bed and stood up, not realizing that he was wearing only his fortune cookie boxers. She practically whipped his clothes at him.  
  
"Ewww! Is that all you where to sleep? Get dressed. I'll be downstairs." She skipped out of the room.  
  
'She really knows how to push my buttons'. Craig thought, half annoyed, half flattered that she would come early just to bug him. He shut his door after she left and put his clothes on. After he got his shoes on, he ran downstairs into the kitchen to find Blayne and Angie eating, and a plate full of food sitting next to Angie. So that is where Craig sat.  
  
"Whoa, slow down buddy." Joey said as he watched his step son shoved bite after bite into his mouth, as if he were in an eating race.  
  
"Sorry Joey, I'm just REALLY hungry." He finished before Blayne and Angie, even though they had started before him.  
  
"hey Joey? What time is it?" Blayne wondered.  
  
"Six fifty. You guys still have twenty minutes before we have to leave."  
  
"Blaaayne let's go watch TV.!" Angie whined.  
  
"Alright." They both got up and went into the living room. Craig followed shortly after. He plopped down on the couch in between Angie and Blayne, half sitting on them both.  
  
"OW!!" Angie yelped.  
  
"Watch it big butt!" Blayne exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry!" Craig laughed as they both slid over, making room for him.  
  
At school, Craig and Blanye met up with Marco in the lobby. Marco and Craig got into an intense conversation about Kid Elrick, but Blayne wasn't really talking. So she kind of just stood there, looking around. She caught Sully's eye from across the lobby and started making obscene gestures at her. She put on a mock angry look and then smiled. Craig noticed.  
  
"What are you smiling at?"  
  
"What?!" She said, caught off guard. She panicked.  
  
"Nothing. I gotta go put my stuff away." She hurried off. 'Oh man, he almost…ughh I got to think more!' She thought harshly to herself.  
  
In Ms. Kwan's class, they were supposed to be reading excerpts from The Odyssey and then connecting it to real life. As Blayne looked around, she was pretty sure no one was actually doing the reading. Since they didn't have assigned seats, today Paige was sitting in front of her. She turned around so they could talk.  
  
"So hun, who do you have your eyes on this year? Jimmy, maybe? Or a bad boy, like Sean?"  
  
"Ewwww no! Paige, I don't always like someone. C'mon now, you know I just got out of a pretty serious relationship at the beginning of summer."  
  
"What, are you saying you aren't like…ready?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"You don't still like Sully do you?"  
  
"Paige, I LOVED Sully. No, I don't still like him, but that doesn't mean I hate him. Even though he was a slime ball."  
  
"Whoa. Hun. I think you need an intervention."  
  
"I'm fine, Paige." She snapped. Paige turned back around and looked at her book with wide eyes as she thought about what was just said.  
  
Blayne was just about to start actually doing the assignment when she looked up at the clock. It said 8:14. 'Oh no!' She thought. She jumped out of her desk and put a hand to her stomach, clutching it. She walked to Ms. Kwan's desk and put her other hand on it for support. Or, fake support really.  
  
"Ms. Anderson, what's wrong?"  
  
"I feel horribly sick. I think…I think…." She put a hand to her mouth and made a gagging noise. Everyone in the class looked up to watch, on instinct. Ms. Kwan grabbed the hall pass and quickly gave it to Blayne.  
  
"Go to the nurse's office, only come back if you're okay." Blayne nodded her head and ran out. As soon as she got out of the class, she smiled to herself. And Craig saw that through the open door. He shook his head and wondered what she was up to.  
  
Blayne started on her way to the nurse's office then took a sharp right straight into the men's bathroom when she knew no one was looking. She put a sign on the door that said 'Out Of Order'. Then she went in. She looked at the stalls. There were eight plus five urinals. All of them had the doors closed. She grinned.  
  
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a lover by the toe. If he moans don't let him go, eeny, meeny, miny…." She pushed open the fifth one to find Sully standing on the toilet.  
  
"Moe." He said.  
  
Blayne went into the stall and shut the door.  
  
Class was almost over, but Craig couldn't take it. He had two glasses of milk that morning and hadn't gone pee since. He had to go so bad he was bouncing up and down in his seat. He couldn't wait any longer. He burst out of his seat and ran to the Ms. Kwan.  
  
"Please tell me you aren't sick."  
  
"No, just gotta go."  
  
"I gave the pass to Blayne and she hasn't return."  
  
He looked around.  
  
"Uhhhh….can't you just write me one!?" Craig spat out, jumping up and down. Ms. Kwan pulled out a post it and started writing on it. After what seemed like forever to Craig, she handed it to him and ran out of the room like a race horse. He whipped his head back and fourth to figure out where the nearest bathroom was. When he remembered, he took off. It only took him a couple of seconds to get there running, but there was a sign on the door. 'No way!' He thought. 'The next bathroom is too far away. I don't care if it is out of order, I'm going in.' He shoved the door open so hard it hit the wall.  
  
Blayne jumped at the sound and hit the side of the stall she was in. She giggled, but Sully hushed her.  
  
Craig heard the bump and the giggle. He looked around, and saw two legs under a stall.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
As she stood on the toilet, Blayne looked at Sully and mouth the word 'Craig' with wide eyes. Sully came out of the stall, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Don't go in there, man." He said, leaving.  
  
Blayne was having a hard time balancing on the toilet. They obviously weren't made to stand on. When she heard Craig start peeing, stop, wash his hands, and leave, she sighed and sat down.  
  
"This is too much work." She mumbled to herself. She waited in the bathroom until the bell rang and slipped out un-noticed as the hall was flooded with students. She went to her locker to get her books and realized something. She left all her stuff for English in Ms. Kwan's room. Then someone shoved books into her stomach.  
  
"Looking for these?" Craig said.  
  
"Uh, yeah, thanks."  
  
"Feeling better, obviously."  
  
"Yeah…just um…sudden moment of sickness."  
  
"Ah, the twenty-four second flu." Craig said, kind of rudely. He turned to leave.  
  
"Hey!" Blayne said in objection.  
  
"What's got your panties in a twist? Mad because I didn't feel well."  
  
"Whatever." He said. He knew something was up, and was pissed because she didn't tell him. She always told him. 'It must be bad.' He thought.  
  
"Craig, c'mon. Can you really say you never feel sick during that AWFUL class?" Craig gave a half smile.  
  
"There you are! I was wondering who the asshole that I was talking to was. Don't let him come back."  
  
"I won't I gotta go to Geometry, I'll see you at lunch."  
  
"Yeah, bye!" Blayne leaned against her locker. 'Maybe this isn't really worth it. Maybe I should tell Sully that I want to stop. But do I want to stop? Can I?' She questioned herself. 


	3. Video Format

At lunch, Blayne somehow found herself in a conversation about make-up and seasons with Paige. Spinner couldn't help but comment.  
  
"You know Blayne, I though new look meant new personality?"  
  
"Shut up. I can still talk about girly stuff with my girly friend." She smiled at Paige and they continued with their conversation. Craig was just about to add a comment like Spinners, but something stopped him. A girl. She had fiery red hair. Bright green eyes. Quite short. Craig's jaw fell open.  
  
"Your drooling, Craigger." Blayne said.  
  
"Heh, Craigger?" Paige asked, slightly interested.  
  
"Whoops.." Blayne said, giving an apologetic look to Craig. But he didn't even know what just happened. Everyone looked where he was looking.  
  
"Her name is Christine." Hazel said, as if Craig had asked.  
  
"She's a senior. And she's not your type." Marco added.  
  
"We'll see about that." Craig told them, rubbing his palms together.  
  
After school, Craig and Blayne went to her house.  
  
"Helloooo?" Blayne called into the empty house. She heard her echo.  
  
"Guess no one's home." Craig said.  
  
"Thanks Craig, stator of the blatantly obvious." She said as she went into the kitchen to look for a note. Sure enough, she found one on the fridge.  
  
Blayne:  
Your sister and I went to the Pet Store and then we are going to get groceries. Be home before six. Love, Mom  
  
Craig entered the kitchen.  
  
"So, where's the crew?"  
  
"Shopping and stuff. So, do I get to see the new songs?"  
  
Craig looked dissatisfied.  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
"Nothing." He pulled some papers out of his pocket and handed them to her. She sat down at the dinner table and read them. There were three. One called "The Losing Fight", another "My Inspiration", and the last "Cocky".  
  
"Wow…these are really good."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I wouldn't lie."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder."  
  
Blayne looked up.  
  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
  
"If something were going on, would you tell me?"  
  
She bit her lip and hesitated.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You hesitated. You never hesitate. Unless you're lying."  
  
"C'mon, Craig. What do you think I'm hiding from you?"  
  
"I don't know, you've been acting kind of weird."  
  
"You're just paranoid."  
  
Craig looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Anyways, what did we have to work on today?"  
  
"Our video. We need to find wardrobe and stuff."  
  
"Blayne, it's a video. A short one, too. Why do we need to make it perfect?"  
  
"We don't I just want it to be good."  
  
"Whatever you say."  
  
"Come on, let's go pick out my clothes first, and then we will talk about yours and the band's."  
  
They got up and ran up the stairs into Blayne's room. She opened her closet, and then turned to Craig who was sitting on her bed.  
  
"Okay, since it is going to be in black and white, we have to balance out the dark and the light. So for me, I was thinking…white beater and dark jeans?" She held some up.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
Blayne frowned at her friend.  
  
"What? I'm not the best at choosing clothes."  
  
"Which is why I'm going to choose yours. Let's go."  
  
"Already?"  
  
"Yeah! The sooner, the better."  
  
"You sure are calling the shots these days."  
  
"What can I say, I like the power."  
  
They quickly headed out the door and over to Craig's house.  
  
"Hey, how about...I watch TV, and you pick out the clothes!" The fluffy-haired boy said with hope.  
  
"Whatever you lazy bum."  
  
Blayne ran up the stairs and straight into his closet. She started picking up things and then throwing them behind her if they didn't suit her. After awhile, she finally found what she wanted. A white t-shirt with a long-sleeved plaid button shirt over it, which would be un-buttoned, and light colored jeans. She the clothes on Craig's bed and looked at the mess she had made. She unthoughtfully picked it all up and just tossed it back in the closet. Ironically, it looked cleaner. She was just about to head downstairs when something caught her eye. Craig's acoustic guitar. He taught her how to play last year. She picked it up and sat on his bead. She strummed a couple of cords. And then like the wind, words just came to her and she began to sing and play.  
  
Craig heard voices and music coming from upstairs. He figured she had turned on the radio. Being slow on the up-take, it took him a couple of minutes to realize it wasn't the radio. It was Blayne. He got off the couch and walked up to his room. He opened the door slightly to watch and listen.  
  
"…And I know, it's okay, I'm standing right where you are. You, on my crying shoulder, I'll send you pieces of myyy heart. Slide down your future stairca - Craig?" She put down the guitar.  
  
"That was pretty good. Nice lyrics."  
  
She blushed.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Craig looked over at his bead.  
  
"My clothes?"  
  
"Your clothes."  
  
"Looks good to me."  
  
"Craig, if I had laid a dress out for you, you would say it looked good to you."  
  
"Yeah, I probably would."  
  
They stopped talking then. Kind of just looking around in silence.  
  
"I should go, my mom probably wants me to be home when she gets back."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
As she was walking out of his room, she stopped and handed him a piece of paper.  
  
"Before I forget, this is what I want the guys to wear. Let them know."  
  
Craig looked at it.  
  
"Will do. See ya!"  
  
"Bye." said Blayne, already walking down the stairs.  
  
Right as Blayne was walking up the steps to her porch, her phone rang. She hurried up the steps, dashed to the door, ran in, hopped over a box and dove onto the couch to reach the phone before it stopped ringing.  
  
"Hello?" She said, out of breath.  
  
"Hm, what were you doing that took your breath away?"  
  
"What do you want, Sully?"  
  
"I have an itch I can't scratch."  
  
"Well I seem to have misplaced my backscratcher. Maybe I'll find it tomorrow." She hung up and just laid there for a minute. Then got bored with that. Too bad she fell asleep before she found something else to do.  
  
Craig sat in his room, trying to duplicate the rhythm Blayne had going when she was playing. But something was just off every time he tried. His phone in the shape of a basketball rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey. It's Ash."  
  
Craig almost dropped the phone. Ashley was the last person he expected to call.  
  
"Uh….hey."  
  
"Don't be so taken back. Don't be flattered either. I'll make this quick. Me and Ellie are doing a documentary on…well you already know. So we want to interview as many people as possible. Could you meet me at the park on Oak Street in ten minutes?"  
  
"Um, sure."  
  
"Okay, bye."  
  
This was quite the surprise to Craig. He tried not to dwell on it though. He left a note and ran out the door. It was still light out, but Craig could tell it was going to get dark soon. By the time Craig got to the park, Ash was already there, sitting at a picnic table, camera in hand. He walked over and forced a smile as he sat down. She set up the camera so she didn't have to hold it and turned it on record.  
  
"Hey, Ashley Kerwin here with Craig Manning on the secret thoughts of Degrassi students. Craig, before we start, you don't have any restrictions on questions do you?"  
  
Craig knew this would be brutal.  
  
"I guess not."  
  
"Alright. Let's start with a common one. What are your thoughts on sex? Specifically, sex before the legal age."  
  
'Ouch'. Craig thought.  
  
"Well, I think if both people are ready and prepared, and safe, and are well aware of the consequences, it's okay."  
  
"Have you ever taken part in under age sex?" Ashley shot at him.  
  
Craig gulped.  
  
"Yes, I have."  
  
"Why? What was going through your mind?"  
  
"I wasn't really thinking. With my head…anyway."  
  
"Do you regret it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I wasn't prepared to handle the outcomes."  
  
"What outcomes?"  
  
"Pregnancy." Craig was getting uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to lie.  
  
"And how did that turn out."  
  
"Not so well. I was overwhelmed. And so was she. It ended in an abortion."  
  
"Like many teen sex experiences. On behalf of Ellie Nash and I, I would like to thank you for coming here today and being part of our project."  
  
"Yeah, no problem."  
  
Ashley turned the camera off. Craig thought he heard her mutter 'thanks' as she got up and left. 'That was mildly weird and really damn uncomfortable', he thought to himself. He sat there for a minute, thinking about what he had said, and headed home. When he got there, Joey and Angie were home.  
  
"CRAAAAIIIIG!" Angie yelled as she ran to him and clutched onto his leg.  
  
"Hey, munchkin. How was school."  
  
"All work and no fun!"  
  
"Angela…"They heard Joey say.  
  
"Okay….it was a little fun. But too much WORK!" She said, mostly directed at Joey. She let go and ran into the kitchen. Craig laughed a little. He headed up stairs to work on his homework.  
  
Blayne was abruptly woken up by the phone.  
  
"uhhh…." She grumbled as she reached for it.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Someone's in a nasty mood."  
  
"Paige? I just woke up. I fell asleep for a little while. So sue me. What's up?"  
  
"Didn't you hear? There is a talent show in three weeks! We should totally dance for it."  
  
"Dance? Thanks, but no thanks."  
  
"Hun, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but standing on the stage isn't really talent."  
  
"Count me out of the dance number Paige."  
  
"sigh fine, we can do it without you. See you tomorrow, hun!"  
  
Blayne hung up the phone and looked around. She saw her mom's purse. Which means that they were home.  
  
"Mooooom?" She called into the….well, into the whole house.  
  
"Yeah?" She heard come from upstairs.  
  
"Nothing, just making sure you were home!" She yelled back.  
  
Just then, Katie came running in to sight holding a ball of fluff.  
  
"Look Bay! Look!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"A kitty!"  
  
"Got a name?"  
  
"Ipava. Ipava the Fat."  
  
"Oh? That's….really weird. But whatever blows your goat."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Nothing. Nothing at all."  
  
Blayne got up, momentarily stopping at her sister to pet the ball of fluff. It was extremely small. And didn't look like an Ipava the Fat to her. She went upstairs and sat at her desk, opening her email account. She quickly sent an email to Craig, Jimmy, Spinner, Marco, and Emma, telling them all about the talent show. Not for any particular reason, she just wanted to get to tell someone. With that, she leaned back and wondered if she should join. And if she did, what would she do? 


	4. Hidings, Hellos, and Penthouse Parties

At school the next day, neon pink flyers were posted everywhere around the school. Blayne went to read one before going to lunch. She read it to herself.  
  
" Degrassi's first annual Talent Show. Prizes in all grades. Show us your talent! Sign up is until after school Wednesday…." She thought for a minute. "Today is Wednesday."  
  
"So if you're signing up, you better make a decision fast." Marco said, coming up and standing next to her.  
  
"Hey, Marco. Don't forget we have rehearsal for the video today at Craig's for the band portion."  
  
"Yeah. Ellie's coming, she wants to interview me for her video."  
  
"Oh, cool. Hey, we should head to lunch."  
  
"Yeah, let's go."  
  
Marco and Blayne walked to lunch room, gossiping like school girls. That's what Blayne loved about Marco. She could do that with him, and still appreciate the fact that he was a guy. It didn't matter to her that he was gay, when she found out, nothing really changed between them. When they got to the table, not too many people were there yet. This made Blayne happy. Hopefully, she wouldn't get squished this time. She chose to sit on the outside and give herself lots of space. People seemed to come robotically. Soon the table was full. Blayne took out her chicken sandwich and took a bite of it.  
  
"Before I forget," Jimmy said, "I'm having a….small….get to gether tonight."  
  
"On a school night?" Blayne asked.  
  
"Hun, it's okay to have a life during school." Paige said, laughing.  
  
"Yeah, unless you know…you are a dork. Because you just sounded like a major dork." Spinner said.  
  
"Your one to talk!" Blayne responded, defensively.  
  
"It won't go too late." Jimmy explained. "Besides, you can leave whenever you want."  
  
"Alright, whatever. I'll be there. Just make sure we have enough time after school for rehearsal."  
  
She looked at Craig. He was sitting next to her, but hadn't said a thing.  
  
"Craig? Something wrong?"  
  
"No…" he said, as though staring off into space.  
  
"Oh." Blayne figured it out. "Christine."  
  
"Yeah…" Craig answered, as if she had asked a question.  
  
"Let it go Craig." She told her best friend.  
  
"No way. I got a shot. I do. I even talked to her today."  
  
"Wow. About what?" Blayne enquired.  
  
"Music. School play. Stuff like that."  
  
"I see."  
  
"I think she likes me."  
  
Everyone burst out laughing. He looked offended.  
  
"What?! Is that so hard to imagine?"  
  
"Well…yeah, it is." Spin said.  
  
"Spinner!" Blayne yelled, mildly angry, throwing food at him and watching him pick it up off the floor and eat it.  
  
"Ew. Act human for once."  
  
At Craig's house, Ellie had gotten there before everyone else.  
  
"Hey Ellie." Blayne offered as her greeting.  
  
"Hey." Ellie said in her calm-cool-collective way.  
  
"I just want to thank you for helping us. And I know you are here for your documentary, but while the guys are practicing, I think we should go over video angles and stuff."  
  
"Sure, whatever."  
  
Everyone headed into the garage and the two girls stood in front of the band as they went to their instruments.  
  
"One, two, one two three four!" Spinner yelled.  
  
Blayne and Ellie had to talk loudly to hear each other.  
  
"Okay, here is what I was thinking," Blayne began, "We both have cameras, okay? You film Jimmy and Spinner, get far away shots of both, some shots of just like, Jimmy's hand playing, sometimes Spinner's foot, artsy stuff, ya know? I'll take Craig and Marco, doing the same. We should both do a couple shots of everyone. How's that sound."  
  
"Great! I think this is going to look really good."  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
Deciding to give up on yelling at each other, the girls sat on the couch and watched the practice. Craig was staring right at Blayne as he sang, smiling every now and then. It was cute, but kind of weird to her. After a couple of sets, Jimmy stopped.  
  
"Guys, I gotta go. Get ready for the part and everything. See you guys in an hour or so!" He ran out the door. Ellie and Blayne stood up at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, we both decided we were going to go, too. Girls, you know. Getting ready takes awhile!"  
  
"Actually, I'm not going." Ellie said. "And Marco, since we didn't get around to the documentary, tomorrow. My house, after school. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah, that's fine." He said.  
  
"See you guys later!" Blayne called, turning around to leave. 'At least I was being honest about leaving early to go home,' She thought. She had no plans to see Sully that night. She was actually hoping to gradually end whatever was going on between them. Maybe she could even find a potential for a steady boyfriend at Jimmy's "small get together". 'Jimmy never has small get togethers.' When she got home, she went straight to her room to pick out a good outfit. As she ruffled through her closet and dresser, she finally settled on vintage low rise blue jeans and a light pink "Mary Is My Home Girl" t-shirt. She slipped on her shoes and went downstairs.  
  
"Mom? Can you give me a ride to Jimmy's house?"  
  
"Sure. What's going on at Jimmy's?"  
  
"He's just having some people over."  
  
"You aren't staying too late, are you?"  
  
"Nah, I know it's a school night. I won't over do myself."  
  
Her mom smiled and grabbed her purse.  
  
"Alright then. How are you getting home?"  
  
"I'll grab a ride with Craig if that's okay."  
  
"It's fine."  
  
"Okay, let's go then already!"  
  
When Blayne's mom pulled up in front of Jimmy's apartment building, people were flooding inside. She hurried out of the car, saying a quick 'bye' so her mom wouldn't notice all the people. She watched as her mom drove off, and then turned to go in. the elevator ride up to Jimmy's penthouse apartment was very uncomfortable. She was jammed up against the side, everyone going to the same place. She was relieved when the doors open and people began exiting the elevator. When she got inside Jimmy's, she saw him trying to greet everyone. She stopped to say hi.  
  
"Some advice, Jimmy? Don't greet everyone one at a time. Try five at a time. Or, have smaller parties." She smiled and walked away. There were a TON of people there. Jimmy's apartment may have been bigger than most houses, but it can only hold so many people. She went and looked in different rooms. In the den, a karaoke machine was set up on the loft and people were taking turns going up there and making fools of themselves. In the living room, music was blaring with people pushed together dancing to the hottest music. In the family room, Jimmy's x-box was set up with too many guys crowding around it People were stuffing there faces in the kitchen, and guzzling beers and tequila at Jimmy's parents' mini bar. After about ten minutes, Blayne finally stumbled across a familiar face.  
  
"Hey Emma!"  
  
"Hey! I was just gonna go dance, you wanna come?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go shake it!" The girls ran into the living room and meshed with everyone already dancing. After a little while, Paige and Hazel appeared next to them, dancing too. It was too loud to talk, so Blayne just smiled as a hello, and they smiled back. Blayne felt someone grabbing her butt momentarily and turned around to see the backside of a tall blonde with slightly shaggy hair. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the girls. She leaned close to Hazel.  
  
"I'll be right back!" She yelled.  
  
"Okay!" Hazel yelled back to her.  
  
Blayne pushed her way through the crowd of hormonal teens and into a less dense area. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  
  
"Knew it." She said to herself. She read it. It said: 'Meet me in the guest bedroom, five minutes.' She sighed. 'Maybe I can break it off tonight', she thought. She headed to the guest room.  
  
Just as Craig arrived, he saw Blayne walking through a hallway. 'I'll catch up with her in a minute', he thought, headed over to talk to Spinner for a second, who was guzzling spray cheese.  
  
The door to the guest room was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and walked in. She didn't see anyone. She went in farther.  
  
"Sully?"  
  
She heard the door shut behind her and she jumped.  
  
"Why so jumpy?"  
  
"Don't be such a creep!" She said to him, scornfully.  
  
He moved towards her and put a hand on her back. He leaned down to kiss her but she pushed him back and sat down on the bed.  
  
"We need to talk." Blayne said in a serious tone.  
  
"What? We aren't dating, I should never have to hear those words."  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"So am I!" Sully said, sitting down next to her.  
  
"I think we should stop….whatever it is we do."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's just…so wrong. Hiding from everyone."  
  
"Since when did you get a conscience?"  
  
"Come on Sully."  
  
"Whatever. I hope you know what you're doing. You're never gonna kiss these lips again!" He said, mock pain. She laughed. Even though he was a jerk, he knew how to make her get off track.  
  
"See, I know you don't want to stop." He said slyly, pushing her hair out of her face and kissing her neck.  
  
"No…Sully…I…please…" She wanted to stop. But she didn't. But she did. But she didn't. 'I have needs too'. She thought, as if needing to give herself an explanation for her own actions. Sully moved from kissing her neck to kissing her lips. They shared a passionate kiss and Sully slowly leaned backwards, laying on the bed and Blayne laying on top of him. He had his arms wrapped around her waist as the kissed. She had her hands on the base of his neck. She gulped. She moved her hands down to his belt buckle and started to fiddle with it. Sully broke the kiss.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
She looked into his eyes.  
  
"Are you sure your ready?" He asked, with a tone of care in his voice. She nodded. He smiled. So did she. 'Does he really care? Or is this another ploy? He's tricked me before…' She thought. She was going to question him, but then they heard someone call her name from the other side of the door. They panicked. Blayne rolled off of Sully and shooed him away.  
  
"Closet! Go in the closet!" She said, shoving him towards it. He went in and slid the door shut. Someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Blayne? I'm coming in…" She didn't know what to do. So she just stood there. The door opened slowly.  
  
"Hey Craig.."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I wasn't feeling too hot, so I just came in here to lay down for a minute. I must have dosed off."  
  
"Yeah. You have bed head." Craig laughed as she moved her hand to her hair, smoothing it.  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go back to the party."  
  
"Okay."  
  
As they left the room, Blayne looked back towards the closet and shrugged, quickly turning to look where she was walking. Sully beat his head against the wall in the closet many times in frustration. 'I was soooo close!' He thought. He came out of the closet and walked out of the room, thankful no one was paying close attention.  
  
Blayne was aggravated as she pretended to listen to whatever Craig was saying to her. She was sitting up on the kitchen counter, looking right at him. Or so he thought. She was more…looking towards him. She wasn't looking at anything. Truth be told, her eyes had glazed over while she was in thought. 'This isn't working, sneaking behind people's backs isn't easy, and maybe it isn't worth it anymore. Besides, I almost had sex with Sully tonight! I don't even know what I was thing. I must be losing my mind. Well, obviously, since I'm still with him. Sort of.'  
  
"Don't you think?" Craig said.  
  
"Blayne? Blayne? Blaaaaayne!"  
  
"What!" She snapped back into focus. "Yeah, whatever you said."  
  
Hazel ran into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey! We're having a HUGE game of truth or dare in the den. Come on!"  
  
"Childs play." Blayne said.  
  
"So what! It's fun." Hazel grabbed her arm and pulled her along. 'If, I have to play, so does Craig.' With that decision, Blayne grabbed Craig's arm and he got pulled along too. In the den, there wasn't much room, so they sat near the opening. Paige stood up.  
  
"Okay, this is getting dull. Let's play….'hunny if you love me'."  
  
"How do you play that?" Some grade 9 asked. Blayne wondered why a grade 9 was at a grade 11 party. Connections, she figured.  
  
"Well," Paige began to explain, "Basically one person starts out as 'it'. Who ever is 'it' has to get someone to smile by doing pretty much anything. Whoever they get to smile is the new 'it'. I'll be 'it' first, so everyone gets what is going on." With that, Paige went over to Spinner and sat on his lap. She started petting his face.  
  
"Honey if you love me, will you please, please smile?" She said. Spinner kept a straight face. Paige got up and went to some girl. She played with the girl's hair.  
  
"Honey if you love me will you please, please smile?" The girl smiled. Paige sat in the girl's place. The girl got up and failed with the first couple of people, but got Hazel to smile by fluttering her eye lashes on Hazel's cheek.  
  
"This is so lame." Craig said to Blayne, quietly. She shrugged. Hazel first went to Jimmy. It looked like she was going to get a smile, but she failed. She then came over to Craig and started petting him.  
  
"Honey if you love me, will you please, please smile?" No smile from Craig. Hazel saw Sully standing over by the window. She went over to him and looked up at him with big eyes.  
  
"Honey if you love me, will you please, please smile?" She then proceeded to whisper something in his ear, and he smiled. Hazel celebrated quickly. Sully started stalking across the room, like a hunter looking for his prey. And then he spotted her. 'Oh no'. Blayne thought. He was coming her way. He stood in front of her for a minute and then knelt down. He held her face in his hands and whispered.  
  
"Honey if you love me, will you please please smile?" She turned away, giving him the side of her face. He blew in her ear. It tickled. She laughed, which counted as a smile.  
  
"Yes!" Sully said, sitting next to Craig as she stood up, looking around. She was pissed that he would do that in front of everyone. She looked around the room and then found the easy choice. Craig. He was sitting with his legs outstretched in front of him. She got down on her hands and knees, and crawled up to his face, his legs under her torso. Once she got up to his face, she stopped crawling and straddled him. His big brown eyes got even bigger. He gave her a strange look.  
  
"Honey, if you love me, will you please, please smile?" No smile. She went to his ear and sang to him in a low voice. No smile. She started tracing her fingers along his torso.  
  
"Honey if you love me, will you please…" She began to tickle him, "Please smile?" He broke out in uncontrollable laughter.  
  
"Got you!" Blayne said in victory. After a little bit more of that game, Blayne left the room. Craig followed after her.  
  
"Your vicious." he said.  
  
"I had to get you." She grinned ear to ear. She looked at her watch. It said 10:23.  
  
"I should go home."  
  
"Me too. Need a ride?"  
  
"I was just about to ask you for one."  
  
On the way to Blayne's house, she and Craig sat in the back seat laughing their heads off about stuff that happened at the party. They pulled up to the curb.  
  
"Thanks Joey!"  
  
"No problem."  
  
"See you tomorrow Craig."  
  
"Yeap, you too!"  
  
Craig watched as she went to the door, turned around and waved good-bye. But to him, it didn't feel like a good-bye, it felt like she was telling him to go for it. 'Go for what'? He thought to himself. He honestly didn't know. 


	5. Day One of Filming

A/N: a couple days are skipped. Nothing important happens.  
  
Saturday had finally come for Blayne. The first week of school was over. She had slept three hours longer than she does on school days. She was actually refreshed and happy when she woke up. But she couldn't help but think. About everything. Sully. Wanting to cut it off with him. And finding another guy. And then she found herself thinking about Craig. 'What? How did he slip into my mind?' She shook it off and went to take a shower. She skipped down he stairs with a smile on her face.  
  
"Hey Katie. Mom home?"  
  
"No, she went to pick up breakfast."  
  
"Cool. Well I'm going to got Craig's house, is that okay? Are you going to be alright alone for about ten minutes?"  
  
"Mhhm." Mumbles the child called Katie.  
  
"Okay, I'll be there all day, tell my mom that."  
  
"Kay, byeeeee!!!" yells Katie as she watches her sister leave, then she goes back to coloring. Blayne had gone to Craig's an hour or so earlier than everyone was supposed to be there. She had her camera bag on her shoulder with, of course, her camera in it. She walked inside the Jeremiah house. She didn't even knock anymore. It was like her second home.  
  
"Hey Ang!" She said, spotting the little girl on the couch watching TV.  
  
"Hi Blayne." Angie said, sleepily. Joey came out from the kitchen to see who had come inside.  
  
"Oh, Blayne, hi! Craig's in the shower. You guys filming today?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"Well, you can just…hang around. Like I said, he's in the shower. There's extra food from breakfast if you want it."  
  
"Thanks for the offer, Joey, but no thanks. I'm going to go put my stuff in Craig's room."  
  
"Okay." Joey smiled. He liked Blayne. He always had. She was a good friend to Craig. And she was polite to him and Angela. Even Caitlin, when she was around. Blayne skipped steps as she walked up them, and went into Craig's room. She set down her bag and the tripod she had been carrying by his desk. She flopped down on his soft, mushy bed. Putting her hands under her head, she looked up at the ceiling. She wasn't there long when she heard Craig coming. She propped herself up on her elbows so he wasn't too shocked to see her there. After all, he could miss her if she was just laying there. Craig was coming into his room, singing a song.  
  
"And when the smoke, seems to cl - WHAT THE HELL?!?!" He yelled when he saw Blayne. She had the same reaction, only silent. She jumped off the bed and put her hand over her eyes. Craig only had a towel wrapped around his waist and he was sopping wet. She ran past him.  
  
"I'll be in the garage." She almost tripped on the stairs because she was still covering her eyes. She ran past Angie and straight into the garage, throwing the door closed behind her. She flopped down on the garage. 'Whoa. Totally…weird moment there. Craig. Naked. And….why aren't I saying ew? Maybe…maybe he looked really hot totally wet and almost nude. Oh um…no way. Nope. I certainly CERTAINLY don't think that. Nope. Not one bit. Not at all. Nada. I'm not allowed to. So…nope…errgghhh'  
  
She looked around. The garage was set up for filming. Craig had moved everything out of sight as to not to distract people who watch the video. Blayne looked at the 'stage'. It would look good at an angle. She looked over at the guitar rack. There was currently an acoustic, an electric, and a bass. All by Fender. 'Duh'. She thought. 'Who would get a guitar form anywhere else?' She picked up the acoustic. But put it back right away. She wondered what she would do for the Talent show. She had signed up, but as a solo. 'So had Craig, come to think of it. Which was weird. He has a band he could use.' Oh well. She sat back down and leaned back. The sofa was so old it almost swallowed her. Then Craig came into the garage. This time, fully clothed.  
  
"Oh, hey."  
  
"hey. Sorry I took so long."  
  
"it's okay."  
  
Neither of them planned on mentioning what had happened earlier. Craig reached behind him and grabbed the acoustic Fender, handing it to her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're in the talent show alone, right?"  
  
"Right…." Blayne wondered where this was going.  
  
"Singing and playing, right?"  
  
"Right…."  
  
"Play me what you're doing!"  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Blayne took the guitar from Craig and played the song he had caught her playing a couple of days ago. He was amazed by the end. It was unlike anything he had ever heard. It made her seem different. More open. It was a side of her he rarely got to see.  
  
"Impressive." was all he could say, even though impressive didn't come close to cover it. Blayne didn't say anything, she just handed the guitar back to Craig.  
  
"Now play me something. Play me what YOUR doing for the talent show."  
  
"sigh alright."  
  
He started strumming…. "You are the reason of, you are the one I love, and will forever you give illumination. You stare at me at night, you give me such a fright, you wander my mind all the way to the destination. It's all because of you and your temptation. I wanted you to know that you're my inspiration…." He continued singing, he was staring right at her as he did. And she was looking back at him. 'Is the song about me?' She thought. 'Nah. Craig wouldn't….nah'. She continued to listen in awe. This was blowing her mind.  
  
"You're part of us all, I curl up like a ball, I take you twice a day on my medication…" Not knowing, Blayne instinctively moved her hand to Craig's thigh, being so touched by his words. He looked up at her. She must've have missed the longing in his eyes, because she drew her hand back. Or maybe she did see it, and that's why she drew her hand back. Craig had stopped playing.  
  
'Oh, man. What am I thinking? What is she thinking? What are we doing?' He thought, very confused. The same thing was going through her mind. 'Why did I touch him? The way he looked at me…'  
  
As if on cue, Marco and Ellie burst through the door that lead outside, talking about Ellie's bad people skills.  
  
"Hey guys! Where are Spinner and Jimmy?" Marco asked, looking for them.  
  
"Not here. Obviously." Blayne answered. She stood up. "I'm going to go get my camera." She disappeared into the house. Ellie took in the quick exit Blayne had made and looked at Craig's posture. Tense. Something was up.  
  
"Bad time or something?" she asked.  
  
"What? No. Fine." Craig said, a little…more than a little, distracted.  
  
Ellie raised an eyebrow at him, but left it at that. Blayne quickly returned with camera and tripod on hand.  
  
"Okay Blayne, so where do I go?"  
  
"Well, since you're taking Jimmy and Spinner, you stand over here, off to the right, and can move to the left if you want a straight on shot. I will be standing off to the left, and might move to the right or middle if I want a straight on shot of Marco or Craig. That okay?"  
  
"Yep." Ellie went to where Blayne said to stand, and looked through her camera for the best angles and shots. Marco looked at his watch.  
  
"Where are Jimmy and Spinner?"  
  
"Why, got a hot date?" Ellie teased.  
  
"Speak of the devil." Craig commented as Spin and Jimmy finally showed up.  
  
"Okay, let's get going right away." Blayne said.  
  
"Whoa, we just got here!" Spinner objected.  
  
"What, do you need a break from walking ten feet from the car to the garage?" Blayne shot back. Spinner looked at his feet, defeated.  
  
"That's what I thought. Ok, places!" Blayne had decided not to use her tripod, since she would be moving around, so she put it on the ground and moved over to the left. She and Ellie turned their cameras on, hit record, and Blayne signaled the boys to start playing. At first Blayne stayed where she was, getting shots of Craig gripping the mic stand, opening his mouth wide to yell 'yeah', and Marco strumming on the guitar. She got close ups of his hand too, she found that really cool. Then she decided to move to the middle, to get a straight on shot of Craig. She stayed there longer than she wanted. She quickly had to move and get a straight on shot of Marco then run back to the middle to get a shot of Craig as he finished up the song.  
  
"Okay, that was good!" She said.  
  
"Ellie, did you get enough?"  
  
"Yep." Ellie took out her tape and handed it to Blayne.  
"Cool. I'll load both of these onto my computer for editing so we can re-use them tomorrow."  
  
"Alright." Ellie agreed.  
  
Everyone stood around awkwardly, not knowing what to do next.  
  
"Let's go get some pizza!" Spinner suggested.  
  
"Always suggesting food. But I agree, this time. I'm hungry." Blayne told everyone. They all kind of nodded their heads in agreement, and out the door they went, headed for The Dot.  
  
It wasn't very busy when they got there, it was barely past noon, and people didn't seem to really go there earlier than 1:00. They grabbed a booth by the window, Craig, Blaine and Jimmy on one side, Ellie, Marco and Spinner on the other. They ordered six cokes and two medium pizzas. Every now and then someone started talking about something that didn't really matter, so everyone pretty much was focused on eating. When the pizza was finished, Blayne kind of just sat there and looked out the window. She sighed. Craig looked at her.  
  
"Do you wanna go?"  
  
"Yeah, I kind of do. Sorry for being such a party pooper, guys."  
  
"It's alright." Marco said, with half comfort.  
  
"Yeah, it's been a long day." Jimmy agreed.  
  
Marco and Craig scooted out so Blayne could up and leave. She waved and headed for the door. Craig stood there for a sec, looking randomly at the table and then back at Blayne.  
  
"You know what, I'm going to go too. See ya." Craig hurried out the door to catch up Blayne.  
  
"What's up with them?" Spinner asked, oblivious to the obvious.  
  
"What do you think." Ellie said, sarcastically.  
  
Craig grabbed Blayne's shoulder.  
  
"What? Did I forget something?" She asked, wondering why he was with her.  
  
"Um, no, I just…wanted to leave too."  
  
"Oh, ok." Blayne put her hands in her pockets and starred at her feet as she walked.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier, when I was in your room and -"  
  
"Don't worry about it. Easy mistake." Craig didn't want her to finish her sentence, it was just so awkward.  
  
Blayne laughed at the thought of it, Craig did too.  
  
"So, um, when did you write that song? The one your doing for the talent show?" Craig enquired.  
  
"Awhile ago…."  
  
"What made you write it?"  
  
"I don't know. I was bored, and was full of inspiration…" She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to say it was about him. That would be weird.  
  
"Speaking of inspiration, what about you? I really like that song. It's really clever. Where did it come from?"  
  
"Oh, you know me, I'm always writing songs…."  
  
"But that one was different, Craig. And um…it's a little unclear."  
  
"Really? What part?"  
  
"Well…what's it about?"  
  
Craig laughed. "I thought that was a given. It's about my inspiration. Hence the title of the song."  
  
"And what's your inspiration, Craig Manning?" She held her hand up to his face as if holding a microphone, she grinned. He stopped walking and turned to her. He pushed her hand away.  
  
"This is where I get off." Blayne looked past him. His house was behind them.  
  
"Oh…ok. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, bye."  
  
Craig started going in the door, and said barely above a whisper, "It's you."  
  
"What?" Blayne said turning around, thinking she heard him say something.  
  
Craig panicked. He was sure she wasn't able to hear that.  
  
"Nothing." He smiled. She smiled back, waved, and walked the rest of the way home.  
  
A/N: Both song lyrics Craig and Blayne sing with guitar are from songs by the band "Mind the Gap" 


	6. Sleep On It

That morning, Blayne woke up and pulled herself out of bed. She walked over to her desk and looked at her list of things to do. All it said was 'film video and finish putting tapes on computer'. 'Not much to do, although the video will take up a lot of time,' She thought.  
  
At around noon, there was a knock at the door. Blayne ran downstairs. She was home alone. Katie and her mom had gone to some mother/daughter day at Katie's school. Blayne had a smile on her face as she opened the door.  
  
"Marco! Ellie! Thanks for coming."  
  
"No problem." Marco said, stepping inside.  
  
"Yeah, sometimes we like being do-gooders." Ellie told Blayne, following Marco inside. Blayne shut the door behind them.  
  
"Okay, Marco, you know where the basement is. There is a box of stuff down there. I drew some pictures of how I want it to look, "She handed some papers to Ellie, "And the box has everything you need. I'll be upstairs on my computer. I have to finish downloading the tapes onto my computer. Sound cool to you guys?"  
  
"Yeah, fine!" They said in unison.  
  
"Alright! Everyone else will be over at around one, okay?" Blayne headed up the stairs and Marco led Ellie to the basement.  
  
After about an hour, Craig, Jimmy, and Spinner arrive. No one answered the door when they knocked, so they went right inside. As they came into the basement, Ellie, Marco, and Blayne were just finishing up.  
  
"Hey guys!" Blayne says, hearing them enter.  
  
"Now that everyone is here, let's get started. Okay, first we film Craig's big dramatic entrance, me in the kitchen cooking and crap, and then my surprise when Craig comes in. Marco, you film me, and Ellie, you film Craig. Jimmy, Spin, can you guys handle turning music on and off?"  
  
"Yeah…" Jimmy says.  
  
"Good. Let's get cracking!"  
  
Jimmy and Spinner go over to the stereo and sit in front of it, slipping the cd with their song on it. Craig goes outside the door leading into the kitchen area of the basement and shuts it. Ellie grabs her camera and stands about ten feet away from the door, slightly off to the right. Blayne goes to the stove where a pot with colored milk is pretending to be soup. She grabs a wooden spoon, as if she were to stir it. Marco grabs her camera and stands off to the back, getting ready to film. Jimmy and Spinner flip on the music, which is the cue to start.  
  
The gang ran through the song about three times with many takes until they were satisfied with the product they had. Everyone was taking a break and getting a drink over on the couch.  
  
"Okay, now we need to destroy the kitchen and -" Everyone hears a knock on the door. Blayne stands.  
  
"I'll be right back." She races up the stairs. Once Marco knows she is gone, he turns to Craig.  
  
"So what is going on with you two?" This gets everyone's attention.  
  
"What?" Craig says, not wanting to talk about it.  
  
"Oh come on Craig, everyone can see it." Ellie says, smirking.  
  
"You guys are nuts. Now let's drop it before you make me mad." Craig tells them, making it clear this was a dead subject. For discussion, anyway.  
  
Blayne pulled the door open and her jaw dropped. She quickly looked behind her, and then back to the man standing in front of her.  
  
"Oh my gosh, you NEED to get….are those for me?" She smiles, talking about the dozen pink roses in Sully's arms.  
  
"Well…yeah."  
  
"This is so not like you, Sully. What's going on?"  
  
Sully smiled.  
  
"I can't do something nice for the girl that wanders my mind everywhere I go? Read the card."  
  
She did. 'This is sooo strange. Sully is a jerk. Always! What is going on?'  
  
"Sully, this isn't what you do. You're a sleez. You know that. And this is a really bad time."  
  
Sully looked hurt. Which was shocking.  
  
"And what if I'm trying to change?"  
  
"That's just it! You DON'T change!"  
  
Now, he just looked mad.  
  
"Give me a chance."  
  
"Sully, just go. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
He shoved the flowers at her and left. She stood there holding them for a minute, then went back inside. She tossed them onto the couch in the living room when she heard someone coming up the stairs.  
  
"Everything okay?" Craig asked.  
  
"Yeah. Just uh….package. For my mom."  
  
"Your mail comes this early?"  
  
"I guess so." She headed down to the basement.  
  
"I'm going to go to the bathroom!" Craig said. He made sure she went downstairs. Then, he went into the walk in area by the door. Nothing strange. He poked his head in the living room. 'Flowers? For her mom? From who?" He thought. Craig tussled around in the flowers until he found a card. It read: Blayne, you are the most beautiful girl I know. Open you're heart.' Craig put the card back on its holder. 'So she has an admirer? Or maybe….wouldn't she tell me?' He heard his name called, and raced down the stairs, everyone was standing there, waiting for him.  
  
"Alright. Now that Craig is back, destroy the kitchen!" Everyone went nuts. They took food and threw it on the walls. Tipped over the pot on the stove so it dripped onto the floor. Broke plates, glass, bowls, open cupboards and left them like that. When they were done, it looked like a tornado had gone through.  
  
"Okay. Now me. Jimmy, scissors?"  
  
Jimmy pulled out some scissors and walked over to Blayne. He made a small incision on the front of Blayne's beater, then tore it the rest of the way down. He clipped the strap on the right shoulder, and frayed it, making it look torn.  
  
"Ellie, make-up?"  
  
Ellie got out a make-up kit and went to work. She made a bruise in the shape of a hand on Blayne's forearm, gave her a slight black eye, and a long across her lips.  
  
"Ickiest part ever…Spin, gel?"  
  
Spinner gobbed gel in his hands and screwed up Blayne's hair. It looked like…well, a girl's worst nightmare. When everyone finished, she looked like hell.  
  
"Wow Blayne, you sure do look the part." Jimmy commented.  
  
"Okay, Craig's turn. He just needs cuts on his hands."  
  
Ellie quickly did those. Now, Ellie took over as director.  
  
"Okay, this is how it's going to go. Blayne, you go over in the corner and sob, cry, big drama. Craig lip-syncs the song, while kind of gliding over to you. The closer he gets, the more scared you become. He offers you a hand, you take it. He calms you down, and on cue, you look at him, with pleading eyes, shaking your head 'no'. At the end, he goes in for the kiss, and that is where it stops. Because we will turn you to dust on computer. Got it?"  
  
"Got it." Craig said.  
  
"Loud and clear." Blayne added, going over to the corner, crouching down.  
  
Ellie grabbed a camera, Marco too. She gave the signal, and the music started. Craig did well with the sorry eyes, but Blayne's performance of being terrified of Craig was even better. She could cry on cue, and was so convincing when the cue to plead with her eyes and shaking her head no. At the end of the song, when Craig placed his hands on her shoulders, he leaned closer with every word of the song.  
  
"….everything I touch, just turns," closer, "to," closer," dust…" instrumental break, and idea for Craig. There was never supposed to be a kiss. But he was right there. And she was, too. So they took matters into their own hands. Craig first. He completed leaning in and gently put his lips on hers. Blayne pulled away for a mili-second, but he held her there. She gave in, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She parted her lips, allowing him full access.  
  
Spinner leaned over to Jimmy, who was staring.  
  
"Dude.." He whispered, "they are totally making out in front of us."  
  
"Cut…" Ellie squeaked.  
  
"Cut." She said a little louder.  
  
"Cut?"  
  
Marco jumped up.  
  
"Cut cut cut cut CUT CUT!!!!"  
  
Blayne and Craig pulled away from each other, turning to the group, who were still staring in amazement.  
  
"Unnecessary, but might help." Ellie said, trying to make the moment less tense. It didn't help.  
  
"We should go…" Marco said, coming to a decision.  
  
He took the tape out of the camera and put it on the counter. He looked at Ellie. She got the hint and did the same. He grabbed her by the arm and tugged her upstairs.  
  
"Bye!" They yelled.  
  
"Yeah…we too…going to leave.." Spinner mumbled, getting up and leaving. Jimmy following.  
  
"See you guys tomorrow." Jimmy said. Everyone one was weirded out. So they left Craig and Blayne, just standing there.  
  
Blayne felt her legs go to jello, so she flopped onto the ground, zoning out. Craig looked down at her, and sat across from her.  
  
"I'm sorry…" He began. She looked up at him.  
  
"Really? I'm not." this took Craig by surprise, and he no longer knew what to say.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm not sorry. It was bound to happen. You know that. No use making it a bad thing. Take the high road."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm not saying anything, Craig. And I'm certainly not suggesting anything. But it was going to happen. Something we needed to know. If we felt anything."  
  
"Did we?" It was killing him to know what she thought.  
  
"Did you?" She asked him, back.  
  
"Yeah." He smiled. "Yeah, I did."  
  
She nodded. "Okay."  
  
"Okay? You can't leave me with an okay. Did you?"  
  
She pondered the question a moment, wondering what to say.  
  
"Craig. I've been having some epiphanies the past couple of days. I think my feelings towards you are changing. I mean, forgive me for being so honest, but sometimes when I see you at school I want to shove you up against the locker and kiss you."  
  
They both laughed.  
  
"And I find you very attractive. So does every other girl at Degrassi. And you are a great kisser. And you're sweet, and gentle, and I trust you. As a friend. But I don't know if I could trust you as more than a friend."  
  
Craig's face fell.  
  
"Well…you said some really nice things to me just now, but rejected me at the same time. What now?"  
  
"I say we sleep on it."  
  
"Oh…I can do that."  
  
"Good. You should go. I don't mean to push you out, but I want to start thinking about this. And I need to clean. But I don't need help."  
  
"Ok. I guess…I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Yea, you will."  
  
Blayne watched with dreamy eyes as Craig stood, smiled, and left her sitting there. 


	7. They Don't Get It

Paige pushed Blayne towards where Craig and Marco were standing. Marco saw Blayne coming and he knew why. He left without explaining to Craig. Craig looked around for a minute, confused, and then saw her coming. 'Oh no. Oh no. I feel sick. So sick. But I shouldn't. She's Blayne. She's my best friend. What's going to happen now?'  
  
"Hey, Craig."  
  
Craig leaned against the locker for support.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"So, um, I'm not one to beat around the bush, so…are we….what….what now?"  
  
"I…don't know? I spent all of last night thinking about how this conversation would go. And I completely forgot how I wanted it to go."  
  
"Craig. You're babbling."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"So…are we friends?"  
  
Craig looked at her, deeply.  
  
"Always. You know that. Nothing can change that."  
  
But Craig knew that wasn't true. That could change. They could be more than friends. And then they could not be friends at all.  
  
"Are we more than friends?"  
  
Craig pondered how to go about this. He was terrified of the idea of losing Blayne. He was excited by the idea of getting to kiss her whenever he wanted. But what was more important? Was there an in-between? 'There is….would she go for it? Let's see.'  
  
"Blayne, " He began, putting an arm around her shoulder. "We, are friends. With benefits." He grinned at her. She gawked at him and shoved his arm off of her.  
  
"Friends with benefits?!" She spat at him.  
  
'Uh-oh.' Craig thought.  
  
"Well….yeah."  
  
"UGH! You are such a guy! I can't believe I actually held expectations for you."  
  
She stomped away down the hall. Pretty much everyone had been watching them. Paige and Hazel ran after Blayne. Marco rushed back to Craig and pushed his shoulder.  
  
"Man! What did you say to her?"  
  
Craig ran his hands over his face and then up into his hair.  
  
"I…I don't know. Something bad obviously. She asked what we were, and I told her we were friends…with, um…benefits."  
  
Marco had a look of disappointment on his face.  
  
"You still haven't learned how to handle girls, Craig. I thought you would've by now."  
  
"Marco. Lay off, man."  
  
"Sorry, but you brought this onto yourself."  
  
"What's so wrong with being friends with benefits!"  
  
"Blayne is a girl! She wants a commitment! I mean, when someone asks her if she has a boyfriend, she doesn't get to say yes. She has to say, 'no, but I have a beneficial friend.' How much do you think she wants to do that?"  
  
"I just didn't want to ruin our friendship. And I want her so bad. I thought I could do both."  
  
"No. You can't, Craig. You have to choose."  
  
"Uggghh."  
  
Craig slammed his head against the locker behind him. 'Always screwing up. I'm always screwing up.' He told himself.  
  
At lunch, Blayne decided to sit outside by herself. She needed space. And lots of thinking time. Unfortunately, she usually doesn't get what she needs. Ellie plopped a squat across from her.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Blayne gave her a 'I don't want to talk' look.  
  
"Hey, Ellie."  
  
"Look, I don't want to rack your brain about your new found romance."  
  
Ellie put her camera on the picnic table.  
  
"I just want to interview you for my project."  
  
"Oh. I guess I can accommodate, since you helped so much with my project."  
  
"Exactly what I thought. So, before we start, are their any topics you don't want to talk about, any questions you won't answer?"  
  
Blayne thought a moment. But decided honesty was the best way to go.  
  
"Nah. Fire away, Ellie Nash."  
  
Ellie pointed the camera in Blayne's direction and pushed the record button.  
  
"Ellie Nash here with Blayne. Topic of today happens to be secrets. So, Blayne, do you keep secrets?"  
  
"Well, yeah, everybody has some secrets."  
  
"Do you have any secrets that you have never told anyone?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess."  
  
"And why do you choose not to tell anyone?"  
  
"Because I think that maybe, if they knew, they would think less of me, or be mad at me."  
  
"So, you're kind of just protecting yourself by keeping a secret?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Do you feel bad, keeping secrets from your friends?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it doesn't affect them."  
  
"So if it doesn't affect them, why don't you just tell them?"  
  
That stumped Blayne. She looked down.  
  
"I…I don't know."  
  
Ellie turned off the camera. She grabbed it and stood.  
  
"Thanks, Blayne."  
  
Ellie smiled her Ellie smile, and walked away. 'That was weird. And not so fun. It actually, kind of sucked.' Blayne thought as she watched Ellie walk back into the school. She didn't feel so much like eating. At all. She stood up and threw her lunch away, then walked over to the basketball courts and leaned against the fence. Three guys were just shooting the ball, goofing around. But she wasn't really watching them. She was just…looking. At air. She was lost in thought. The wind was blowing leaves everywhere, and it made Blayne cold. She wrapped her arms around herself. When she felt a coat drape over her shoulders, she wasn't surprised at first. Then she came back down to Earth and turned around.  
  
"You looked cold."  
  
Blayne took the varsity soccer jacket off of her and held it out to him.  
  
"Take it back, Sully. I'm fine." She turned back around and leaned on the fence. She felt Sully doing the same thing right behind her.  
  
"Please give me another chance. I'm really trying. Really hard. I want you back. For real. Not sneaking around. I want you to be my girlfriend."  
  
"Wow, you said girlfriend. You usually just refer to the position as 'boo'. But no, Sully. You aren't boyfriend material."  
  
"Well, I'm obviously one hell of a kisser."  
  
"I've kissed better." She thought of Craig.  
  
"Blayne, this isn't an act. This is the real deal. Doesn't it mean anything to you to know that I am doing a completely personality make over just for you?"  
  
He wrapped his arms around he waist and pulled her close to his chest. For a moment, it was nice. Feeling wanted. Feeling loved. Sully wanted her like this. Craig wanted her to kiss. The option of Sully seemed so much more tempting. She pulled away.  
  
"No, Sully. Just….no."  
  
"I'm not going away, Blayne."  
  
"What, are you going to stalk me?"  
  
"No. That's too drastic. Will you at least let me walk you home?"  
  
"If I do, will you leave me alone?"  
  
"If I don't have you convinced by then, then yes. I will leave you alone."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Blayne turned and went inside, knowing class would start soon. 


	8. Creating Chaos

Blayne had avoided talking to Craig for the rest of the day. It wasn't too hard though, he didn't seem really keen on talking to her either. So by the time school got out, Blayne was just bursting with emotions. She went to the North end of the soccer field where she was going to meet Sully. She sat on the street corner. He was late. She looked at her watch. Five minutes late. She stood to leave, when she heard her name being called.  
  
"Blayne! Wait!" She looked to the right and saw Sully sprinting down the sidewalk. Once he got to her, he bent over and caught his breath.  
  
"I'm breathing hard sorry breathing hard I'm late."  
  
He looked up at her. She was just about to yell at him, but decided not to.  
  
"Whatever, can we just go? I'm cold and want to go home."  
  
"Why didn't you bring a coat."  
  
"Sorry, MOM, I wasn't aware the wind was going to pick up."  
  
Sully quickly took off his jacket and held it out to her as they walked.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"Just take it, I have a sweatshirt, and I'm not even cold."  
  
"ugh. Fine."  
  
Blayne took the coat and put it on. She remembered how big it was on her. It was still huge. But at least it was warm.  
  
"Blayne. I just want to talk to you. My intentions are pure."  
  
"Don't make me laugh. Pure is not in your vocabulary."  
  
"It is now!"  
  
"Why should I believe you?"  
  
"Why shouldn't you?"  
  
"Because you have a reputation of being a sleez because you ARE a sleez!"  
  
"That was the old me, Blayne. I'm different. I'm trying."  
  
They walked in silence for a couple of blocks.  
  
In Craig's garage, the band was practicing, but Craig kept screwing up his cords.  
  
"Come on man, it's like you're fingers are polish sausages." Spinner said to him.  
  
Craig turned around.  
  
"Shut up, Spin."  
  
"Ohhhh someone has PMS." Spinner replied.  
  
Craig took a step towards him, but Jimmy stopped him.  
  
"Come on, what's the deal?"  
  
"I just have a lot on my mind, okay?"  
  
"Go see her." Marco said.  
  
Craig turned to him.  
  
"I can't. She hates me."  
  
"What do you want from her?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"I want her heart. I want her soul. I want to hold her hand. I want to kiss her. I want to hold her in my arms and know that….that she's only thinking of me. I want to go to sleep at night dreaming of her and knowing that she is doing the same thing. I want the world from her."  
  
"Then why the hell did you tell her all you wanted to be was friends with benefits?" Marco enquired.  
  
"Because I want her so much it scares me. I mean, what if I get her, and then I lose her? Not only would I lose a girlfriend, I would lose a best friend."  
  
"But isn't she worth it?" Spinner said, very seriously.  
  
Craig looked at him. Eyes wide.  
  
"Spinner. That's the most intelligent thing you've ever said."  
  
Craig grabbed his coat and ran out the door, leaving them all there, smiling, knowing they had helped their friend in a big way. They continued to practice while he was gone, awaiting his return.  
  
Arriving in front of Blayne's porch, they stopped.  
  
"Thanks, Sully. But you can leave now."  
  
"You don't want me?"  
  
"You convinced me you changed, now leave."  
  
She walked up her steps and walked up them right after her and stopped her. She put a hand on the rail and turned around.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You didn't answer my question. Do you want me or not?"  
  
He placed his hand on top of hers that was resting on the rail.  
  
"Blayne? Do you want me?"  
  
She looked away. She didn't know what to do. Craig had rejected her, but she still wanted him, very bad. And now Sully was here, begging for her, wanting to be her everything. Honestly a changed man. Sully put his hand on her cheek and made her face turn back and meet his in a dead-locked gaze.  
  
"Please, Blayne."  
  
"Don't make me do this. Don't…"  
  
"I would never make you do anything."  
  
"I can't. I can't choose…" She was on the verge of tears. Her eyes filled with water.  
  
"Choose? There is someone else?" Sully's tone changed, but he controlled himself.  
  
"Blayne, it doesn't matter. He might want you, but not as much as I do. If he did, why isn't here? Right now? You're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and….everything no other girl could ever possibly be."  
  
To her, Sully was doing a really good job at make her want to choose him. He was saying all the right things. 'But is it because he knows that is what I want to hear?' She looked into his eyes, they can't lie. And they looked genuinely sad at the thought that Blayne might not choose him. She closed her eyes. Sully took that as a sign to kiss her, which it definitely was not. He smashed his lips against hers, and right then, everything she had been feeling all day, came pouring out of her. She knew right then who she wanted. Blayne threw her arms around his neck as the vision and thought of Craig came into her mind. To her, she was kissing Craig. At least she was pretending she was. She wasn't fully aware of what she was doing. She was took over-come with feelings of love and lust. She pushed Sully up against the rail, and he almost fell over it backwards.  
  
"Blayne?"  
  
She broke the kiss and looked past Sully. Her eyes reflected the horror she was suddenly flushed with. She looked at Sully, and then past his again. Craig was standing at the end of her drive way, about fifty feet away.  
  
"Craig?"  
  
Sully turned around to look at him. He smiled in victory. Craig tilted his head to look at them, in disbelief.  
  
"I get it now. I finally get it." He said, hurt, tears dropping from his eyes.  
  
"Craig, wait, this isn't -"  
  
"What it looks like?" He finished her sentence for her.  
  
"Actually, it is, Craiggy-poo." Sully said.  
  
"Craig, you don't understand. I -"  
  
"No, I understand. Completely. The roses. The ten minute trips to the bathroom, same time, every Tuesday. Rushing out on me every now and then, saying your mom wanted you home early. It was always about Sully…..Jimmy's party too, right?"  
  
She looked down.  
  
"Answer me!" He screamed.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Craig."  
  
"Yeah, me too." Craig turned to leave.  
  
"No, wait!"  
  
Craig started running and Blayne jumped over the rail on her porch, landing on all fours. She stood and ran after him, as fast as she could. She couldn't even feel her legs anymore. All she knew is that she had to get to him. And she had to get to him fast.  
  
"Craig! Craig stop!"  
  
They both ran all the way back to Craig's house. The only reason Blayne was able to catch up with him was because he had to pause to open the door to the garage. They both practically burst into the garage, making Jimmy, Marco, and Spinner wonder what was up.  
  
"Get out." Craig said.  
  
He was saying it to Blayne, but the guys thought he meant them, so they packed up their stuff and left. Craig went to the door that led into to house, but as soon as he put his hand on the door knob Blayne put her hand on his arm and tugged on it, making him let go of the knob.  
  
"Craig -"  
  
"Don't touch me!" He yelled at her, pushing her backwards with his arm, causing her to stumble a bit.  
  
"Get out of here, Blayne."  
  
"No."  
  
"I said get out. Get the hell out of here."  
  
"Please, just listen to me!" She pleaded, crying.  
  
"I'm done listening to you! You lied to me! You lied through your teeth!"  
  
Craig went inside and slammed the door. She stood there for a moment. She could hear him stomp through the kitchen, into the living room, up the stairs, and slamming his bedroom door. She didn't want to leave. So she sat down. Decided to wait for him. After awhile, she got up and looked around. There was a pen and pad of paper Craig used to write songs. It was full. She read through it, but didn't find any complete songs. Just some rhyming sentences all over the place. She flipped to a new page, un-used. She got up and got the acoustic guitar laying on the ground and brought it back to the couch. She strummed some notes, and then stopped and wrote down some words. Strummed, wrote, strummed, wrote. It went on like this for two hours. She noticed it was dark, so she just left. Leaving everything how it was.  
  
Craig could hear the music from his room. He wondered if she was trying to get him to come down. Nope. He wouldn't. He wasn't going to crack. He was too hurt. She had ripped his heart out and stomped on it. She sure was there for a long time. After what seemed like forever, he heard the music stop. He sat up. He went into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were tear stained. 'How girly of you, Craig.' He told himself. He washed his face, and went downstairs. Angie and Joey were eating. They knew not to ask what was wrong. Not yet. Craig passed them on his way to the garage. When he opened the door, no one was in there. He saw his guitar and pad of paper on the couch, but that was it. He moved the guitar and sat down where it had been. He picked up the pad of paper and read the sheet it was currently on.  
  
"I didn't write this song." He said to himself.  
  
He seemed to read it over, and over and over. Pondering it through and through. Wondering if it was meant for him, and if so, what it was trying to say to him.  
  
"My life is definitely not short on drama…" He said, leaning back, sighing. Things sure were royally screwed up. 


	9. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Up in her room, Blayne held her head in her hands and cried. Glancing in the mirror, she noticed she was still wearing Sully's jacket. She was over come with a brilliant idea.  
  
It was late, but Blayne was on an emotionally fueled rampage. She grabbed a bucket, Sully's jacket, matches, scissors, and gasoline normally kept for the lawn mower. She brought all the stuff outside and set it down. Running her hands through her hair, she threw it behind her shoulder. She picked up the jacket and the scissors. It was tough, but she tore through the thick fabric and cut out the patch on the coat that said SULLY. She set it on the ground. She then stuffed the coat into the bucket. Dumping the gasoline all over the coat, she smiled. Blayne lit the match, and dropped it. The coat was engulfed in flames. She watched in burn. And with the coat, all of her feelings she ever had for Sully slowly burned away, too. After awhile, the fire finally went out. She looked in the bucket. Most of the coat was gone, but there were some pieces of crisp fabric on top of the pile of ashes. She picked up the bucket, the patch, and got into her mom's car. She drove straight to Sully's house. When she arrived, it was closing in on 10:00. She climbed out of the car, grabbing the bucket and the patch. She put the patch on top of the pile of ashes and charred remains. She rang the doorbell. Blayne could hear slow footsteps coming to the door. She knew it was Sully. He slowly pulled open the door. Rubbing his eyes, he smiled.  
  
"I knew you'd pick me. Listen, my parents are here, so if you think you can be wuite, we can go -"  
  
She shoved the bucket into Sully's chest, making him take a step backwards. Without a word, she turned and left. Sully looked in the bucket.  
  
"What the hell…" He muttered.  
  
He pulled out the patch, realizing what was in the bucket. Or rather, what wasn't in the bucket.  
  
"YOU BITCH!!!!!!!" He roared, through the bucket.  
  
Blayne heard it clatter against the sidewalk. She could hear him screaming obscenities. Her job was done. She got in the car and drove home.  
  
It was the day before the talent show, and one week before the projects needed to be turned in. Blayne was working very hard on the editing for the video. It was going alright, but she was having the part where she turned to dust look genuine. She knew what she had to do. She grabbed the phone, and dialed seven digits.  
  
"Hello, Kerwin-Issacs residence?" Ashley had answered the phone.  
  
"Is Toby there?"  
  
"May I ask who is calling?"  
  
"Blayne."  
  
"Oh." Her kindness faded, realizing who it was.  
  
Blayne could hear Ashley yell for Toby. After a moment, he came to the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Toby, this is Blayne. I um, I need a favor."  
  
"Anything."  
  
He tried not to sound too willing, but she was older, pretty, and popular, everyone liked her. Including Toby. She had never spoken more than five words to him before.  
  
"I'm having trouble with my computer. I have to animate a video for this project, but it just looks so crappy and I don't know how to make it look better. Do you think you could come over and help me?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. When?"  
  
"Is now okay?"  
  
"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes."  
  
They hung up the phone. And then Toby picked it up again and dialed a number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"JT. You are never going to guess who just called me and asked me to come over."  
  
Blayne ran downstairs yelling "I'll get it!" As she rushed to the door.  
  
"Hey Toby! JT…?"  
  
She gave JT the once over, but shrugged.  
  
"Heh, Tobes here needs my help."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Blayne stepped out of the way so they could come in. She led them upstairs. They exchanged glances of excitement on the way to her room.  
  
"Here, you sit there." She told Toby, pointing to the computer chair.  
  
Toby did as told. Blayne stood next to him.  
  
"Okay, this is what's going on."  
  
She played the part she was working on for him.  
  
"And you see how choppy and crappy the dust part is?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can you fix it?"  
  
"I can."  
  
"Awesome! Do you guys want anything to drink?"  
  
"Water." They both said.  
  
Blayne ran out of the room to go get water.  
  
"Dude," JT said to Toby, "We are in one of the prettiest, most popular girl's room."  
  
JT laid on her bed and Toby turned around.  
  
"JT! Get off of there! If she comes up here and…she'll flip."  
  
After Toby worked undisturbed for fifteen minutes, he sighed.  
  
"Finished."  
  
"Can I see?" Blayne said, eagerly.  
  
"Sure." Toby pushed play.  
  
"Wow! It looks really good! Thanks so much, I can cover it from here though, I just have to put bits and pieces together."  
  
There was an akward pause.  
  
"We should get going, JT."  
  
Toby said.  
  
"But Tobes, we're -"  
  
"JT. We have to go."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Blayne chuckled. She knew what was up, and found it funny. She walked with them downstairs and out onto the porch.  
  
"Thanks again Toby. JT. Although you didn't…never mind. See you guys at school!"  
  
"Yeah! Bye!" They said, turning and walking down the steps.  
  
Blayne turned to go inside.  
  
"You sure do get around."  
  
She whipped back around.  
  
"Craig?" She squeaked.  
  
"Moved on to younger guys?" He spat at her.  
  
"Right. They were helping me with the video. What…what are you doing here?" She hoped that didn't come out the wrong way.  
  
Craig set down the guitar case he was holding.  
  
"You asked to borrow this a couple weeks ago, for tomorrow. And I'm not someone who….hell, I am, but whatever. Give it back after the show."  
  
"I will."  
  
She took a step towards him.  
  
"Craig -"  
  
"Don't, Blayne. Just, don't."  
  
With that said, he turned and walked down the steps, going home. She picked up the guitar case and took it inside.  
  
"Who was that, honey?" Her mom asked.  
  
"Craig, dropping off his guitar."  
  
"Oh, okay." She went back into the kitchen as Blayne went upstairs.  
  
She stayed up for hours practicing. She had changed the song she was doing. She was going to perform the song she wrote while in Craig's garage.  
  
'Why did I do that? Why did I even bother? It was the song. Her song got to me. Even if it wasn't about me, it still got to me. But I can't let things like that happen. She can't think that writing a song will make everything better. Because it isn't. Nothing is ever better.' Craig kept beating himself up in his mind for bringing the guitar to her. But that is the kind of thing Craig did. It was hard for him to be mean to someone he cared about so much. He was afraid, now. Afraid of what things were going to be like, between them. He knew he couldn't just pretend like nothing had happened, not this time. Something had to be done. Something had to be said, a lot of things did.  
  
Blayne played the footage of her kissing Craig over and over and over again. She couldn't stop. It was…enthralling. She wanted to do it again. But not at the risk of…well, everything. She and Craig were messed up now, and she really didn't know what to do. She needed to focus on finishing the tape, it was do in a week, and she still had to add credits. Most of the picking apart and putting together was done, and she considered it to look pretty good. 


	10. The Talent Show

Blayne thought she was going to puke. No, she knew she was going to puke. She was annoyingly tapping her pen against her desk. She was in Spanish level three, and in ten minutes the bell was going to ring. Which meant in twenty minutes the talent show was going to start. She was a nervous wreak. Finally, when the bell rang she rushed out of the room and straight to her locker, knocking someone down on her way. She put her homework in her backpack, and closed her locker. She was supposed to go straight to the gym, for a short meeting with everyone who was performing that night. There was already a group of people waiting for Liberty, who was holding a clipboard and looking very unforgiving, to speak. She stood by Paige, Hazel, and Terri.  
  
"Okay. Listen up. This better go smoothly. We have had way too many events like this screw up. You know your order. Anf when the person or peoples before you are on stage, I want you ready and waiting. We start in fifteen minutes, go get ready!"  
  
Everyone rushed off the stage and behind the curtains to get ready. Blayne had set up her station by Paige's. All she had bothered to bring was her…well, Craig's guitar and some make-up. Nothing flashy, though.  
  
"Hun, everything will be fine. You're going to turn blue if you don't breathe."  
  
"Sorry. Go get stressed, I don't want to keep you."  
  
"If you're sure your okay."  
  
Blayne nodded and Paige ran off with Terri and Hazel to the girl's bathroom. They were doing a dance routine, and had very flashy and shiny outfits. Blayne grabbed the counter for stability and looked in the mirror. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a retro three-quarter sleeved baseball style Beatles tee Craig had bought her last Christmas. It was always her favorite shirt. She wore it when she needed comfort. She decided she didn't need any make-up. She looked fine to herself. Besides, her act was mellow. Bright make-up would throw it off. She could see Craig watching her in the reflection of the mirror. He caught on and looked away. She took a seat and patiently waited.  
  
"Wow, Paige, guys, you look amazing!" Blayne said, seeing the three girls coming at her.  
  
"You really think so?" Hazel asked, looking at her butt in the mirror.  
  
"Definitely. You are going to blow everyone away. Aren't you guys first?"  
  
"Yeah, we are."  
  
"Lucky you, I'm like…almost last."  
  
"Paige, Hazel, Terri! Stage left! Pronto, Tonto!" They heard Liberty yell.  
  
"Ah! Good luck!"  
  
Blayne quickly hugged her three friends and watched them rush off stage. She went and stood on stage right so she could watch. As they got into the position, and light flooded the stage when the curtains opened, J-Kwon's "Tipsy" roared through the speakers and everyone cheered. 'Paige knows how to do it right,' She thought as she watch the girls tare up the stage with hip-hop dance moves, ending with an amazing finale that sent the crowd wild. They all looked incredibly happy as they ran off stage. After taking a breather, Paige, Hazel, and Terri went and sat in the audience so they could watch the rest of the people. Everyone started doing that when they finished. Blayne stay right where she was for most of the acts.  
  
"Excuse me." She felt someone push past her. It as Craig, holding his guitar. He was next.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
As JT walked off stage once done with his comedy act, Craig took a step when he heard his name announced by Liberty.  
  
"Good luck," Blayne said quietly. He had heard, but didn't respond. He walked out on stage, center spot light. He sat in the chair, and looked up.  
  
"This song is called 'My Inspiration.'"  
  
He cleared his throat.  
  
"You are the reason of, you are the one I love. And will forever you give illumination. You stare at me at night, you give me such a fright. You wander my mind all the way to the destination. It's all because of you and your temptation. I wanted you to know that you're my inspiration. Begin, to sin, you stop my mind from procrastination. A model to hold on, stand up for my nation. We try, to fly, you stop us from the succession. Til I keep going on, oh what's your indication."  
  
Craig continued to sing the rest of the song flawlessly. He put a lot of emotion into it, at least it seemed that way.  
  
"….you're my inspiration…" With the last line, he had looked to the left and stared right at Blayne. She wasn't too sure how to take it. 'He forgives me…right? I'm his inspiration? What an enigma.' She watched as Craig stood, went off stage, then went down the stairs and took a seat in the front next to Spinner and Marco.  
  
Blayne stood holding the guitar. In approximately one minute and thirty seconds, her name would be called.  
  
"Now, from the eleventh grade, Blayne Anderson!"  
  
She heard her name, but didn't accept it. And then she felt someone shove her. She walked out onto the stage. The stage light was right in her eye, extremely blinding. She sat down.  
  
"I wrote this song, it's called "The Only One."  
  
She strummed the introductory cords and began to sing/talk. She was staring right at Craig, and never blinked or looked away. Not once. This was her way of telling him everything.  
  
"Well I saw you with your hands above your head, spinning around, trying not to look down, but you did and fell hard, on the ground. Then you stumbled around for a good ten minutes, And I said I'd never seen anyone look so dumb before, And you laughed and said I still know how to turn you on though."  
  
She stopped singing and strummed and then began with the chorus.  
  
"You're the only one who, Drags me kicking and screaming through fast dreams. You're the only one who, Knows exactly what I mean."  
  
Another instrumental break.  
  
"And I probably forgot to tell you this, Like that time I forgot to tell you about the scar, remember how uncomfortable that made you feel? See you're not what I expected , But you're the only one who knows how to handle me, And you're such a great kisser and I know that you agree ."  
  
Instrumental break, chorus again, and the next verse. Blayne began to cry, against her will.  
  
"I hope you can forgive me for that time When I put my hand between your legs and said that it was small cuz it's really not at all."  
  
Everyone laughed at that line, she knew they would, she even smiled a bit with it. She was still looking at Craig, and still crying, praying he knew what this was all about.  
  
"Well I saw you with your hands above your head, Spinning around, trying not to look down, But you did, and you fell, hard on the ground."  
  
She stopped. That was it. The end. She stood and whipped her eyes with her sleeves. Walking off stage, she listened to the clapping and hollering. The walk felt like a walk of shame. But even though it wasn't shame, it made her feel sick all the same. She went back stage, and set down the guitar in the guitar case. She closed it, and took a deep breath, calming herself. She turned and went down the stairs that led to the audience. She tried to go un-noticed, going to sit by Paige.  
  
"Hun, that was impeccable. You truly are gifted. And emotionally distressed, if I may add." Paige whispered.  
  
"Thanks." Was all Blayne wanted to whisper back. She did her best to enjoy the remaining three acts.  
  
After the last act finished up, Liberty took to center stage.  
  
"Wow, what a show!"  
  
Liberty paused so everyone could clap.  
  
"Out judges," She turned and pointed to five teachers sitting off to the side, next to the stage, " Have just finished voting!" She held up an envelope.  
  
"And third place is…Paige, Hazel and Terri from grade eleven with "Tipsy Dance"!"  
  
Everyone cheered and the three girls stood. They were ecstatic as they ran down to the stage from their seat and stood by Liberty. A younger student came from behind the curtains and handed Paige the trophy.  
  
"Woo!" Paige yelled, holding it over her head.  
  
"And in second place, Kendra Masson from grade ten with her karate act!"  
  
Kendra bounced up to the stage, still in her white karate suit. Another student came from behind the curtains, handing Kendra an even bigger trophy. She bowed, karate style.  
  
"And, in the coveted first place, from grade eleven," Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for Liberty to finish her sentence. Everyone, except Blayne. She didn't care so much.  
  
"Craig Manning with his song 'My Inspiration!"  
  
The crowd roared as Craig stood. He slowly walked up to the stage. He took the giant statue handed to him by a grade eight girl. He turned and posed for a picture with Kendra, Paige, Hazel, and Terri, all of them in order and with their trophies. He looked into the audience and watched Blayne slowly clap with everyone else and smile at him. He felt some kind of weight lifted off of his shoulders. He was pretty sure they were okay and on the same page now, but he had to be sure. He looked around. At Liberty, then the judges, then back at Blayne, and once again at Liberty. He planted the trophy in her arms that she grabbed quickly so it didn't fall.  
  
"Wha -" She said, not understanding.  
  
Craig yanked the microphone out of her hands.  
  
"Blayne. Blayne it was for you. This was for you. It has always been for you. YOU are my inspiration. I love you. And I know you love me."  
  
He was talking very fast, in a nervous blabbering way, which he did quite often. She stood, and cupped her hands around her mouth.  
  
"I love you, too!"  
  
He smiled, and set down the microphone on the ground. He ran up to the bleacher she was on and grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the gym, leaving everyone in awe and laughing at how corny that had just been. Once they got outside of the gym, Craig turned around to her.  
  
"I'm so sorry."  
  
"No, no, I'm sorry. I lied to you. I wanted to tell you what was going on. But I couldn't. I mean -"  
  
"Don't even stress it. I know how it is." he said, making a mental note back to the time of Ashley and Manny.  
  
"My…it was for you too, Craig. My song was for you."  
  
"I know. I found the lyrics in my garage."  
  
Blayne hugged him and held him close.  
  
"So what now?" She whispered into his ear.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Song "My Inspriation" belongs to Mind the Gap. Song "You're the Only One" belongs to Maria Mena. 


	11. Author's Note

I guess that's it. I don't see where I can go from here. Thanks for all the Reviews guys, you are really great. Hopefully I'm hit with some inspiration soon for a new story! (Focusing on Craig, duh.) And don't for get to check out my other story, "Blast From His Past", now I have more time to work on it! Thanks again! 


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